From enterprise IT to powering reliable operations in the energy sector

Saratha Gandi B. joined Cegal’s Kuala Lumpur office in October 2025 as a Senior IT Engineer. With experience from several global organizations, she brings a structured, customer-focused approach to supporting energy companies operating in complex and business-critical IT environments.

Experience from global enterprise IT environments

Saratha has built her career in multinational organizations such as Shell IT Services, DHL Group, and BAE Systems. Before joining Cegal, she worked at The Access Group, where she further strengthened her expertise in enterprise systems and IT operations. Across these roles, she has worked in environments where system performance, uptime, and responsiveness are essential to daily operations. She has a particular interest in Citrix automation, where optimizing virtual desktop environments can significantly improve both user experience and operational efficiency.

Supporting an industry under pressure

The energy sector is facing increasing demands related to cost efficiency, sustainability, and regulatory compliance, while also adapting to new technologies and changing expectations.

As Saratha sees it, companies are navigating several pressures at once:

Companies are under pressure to reduce environmental impact while remaining competitive and compliant. At the same time, having access to the right skills and technology is becoming more important than ever.

She has also observed a clear shift in how technology supports operational decision-making. Real-time visibility, live dashboards, and dependable systems are increasingly replacing delayed reporting, allowing teams to act faster and work more efficiently.

Looking ahead, Saratha expects AI and data-driven operations to play an even larger role in the energy sector:

AI and data can help companies improve efficiency, predict issues before they happen, reduce downtime, and make better decisions faster.

Focus on reliability and customer trust

Saratha was drawn to Cegal because of its collaborative culture, strong teamwork, and opportunities for continuous learning. In her role, she works closely with customers to ensure stable, efficient, and reliable IT environments.

Her day-to-day focus is clear:

My focus is to keep systems running smoothly and resolve issues quickly when they occur.

Reliable operations and responsive support are critical for maintaining customer trust, particularly in an industry where downtime can have significant operational and financial consequences. Saratha also sees technology as an important enabler for reducing environmental impact through better efficiency, automation, and use of real-time data.

Advice for the next generation

For those starting a career in the energy sector, Saratha highlights the importance of combining technical expertise with strong customer understanding:

Focus on understanding customer needs, build strong product knowledge, and always aim to deliver reliable solutions. Clear communication and responsiveness make a real difference.

What motivates her most is helping customers maintain continuity and reliability in their operations, something she has seen firsthand through years of service desk and support experience.

Outside of work

Outside of work, Saratha has a wide range of interests. She describes herself as an ecophile, phytophile, melophile, and gastronome, reflecting her passion for nature, plants, music, and food.